Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik said she experienced significant backlash for questioning COVID-19 school closures and the Black Lives Matter marches in 2020, to the point where she "didn't feel safe in her own home." Bialik, known for her role on "The Big Bang Theory," shared these sentiments during a recent appearance on the "Second Thought" podcast hosted by Suzy Weiss.
Bialik, who identifies as a "bleeding-heart liberal," described how her inquiries into the pandemic response and social movements were met with accusations of Republicanism, even from her own family. "The notion that if I questioned what we were doing about school closures, church closures, Black Lives Matter marches. Like, I just wanted to talk about it," Bialik told Weiss. "And even in my own home, it did not always feel safe."
The actress suggested that the pandemic intensified divisions, blurring the lines between political ideologies. "COVID messed everything up six ways to Sunday," she stated. "That’s when that circle of everything right and left became like, oh, it's not poles, it's just a big circle. Because the crazy people on the left sounded as crazy as the people on the right."
Bialik explained that her desire for nuanced discussion led her to seek out outlets like "Free Press," a media company co-founded by Weiss and her sister Bari Weiss. "It's also when, for me, I had to turn to Free Press. I had to turn to somewhere that was like, wait a second, something's not making sense and it's not okay," she said.
She recounted instances where expressing moderate political opinions, such as suggesting Joe Biden should not run for president, resulted in her being labeled a "hidden Republican." Bialik emphasized that open dialogue and disagreement are fundamental to democracy. "And like to me that is the most democratic thing: to be able to say, 'We don’t all have to agree,'" she remarked.
Maintaining Normalcy
During the interview, Bialik also reflected on her upbringing and how she maintained a sense of normalcy while navigating Hollywood. She credited her parents for instilling a strong focus on academics and preventing her from developing an inflated ego. "For my personality, I think a lot of normal came from my parents being very fastidious about academics, being very fastidious about me not getting a swelled head," she said. Despite her early acting career, she continued with her studies and household responsibilities.
Bialik noted that she never felt like a typical "L.A. kid" and often felt disconnected from the Hollywood scene, even before her acting career began. "In terms of L.A., I never felt like an L.A. kid. Most people assumed I was raised in New York, I never talked like I was raised here. So I never really felt part of Hollywood even before I started acting," she shared.
Career Trajectory
Bialik's candid remarks follow previous discussions about her career challenges prior to her breakthrough role on "The Big Bang Theory." After starring in the 1990s sitcom "Blossom," she largely paused her acting career to pursue higher education, earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She returned to acting in 2010, auditioning for the role of Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory" partly to secure health insurance, as she was a mother to two young sons.
"And I figured if I can just get even a couple of jobs here or there, I'll be able to get insurance again," Bialik said in a 2021 interview, referencing the lack of universal healthcare in the United States. "And I eventually auditioned for this show called The Big Bang Theory, which I had never seen, and it changed my life, and I got insurance."
Following her time on "The Big Bang Theory," Bialik briefly hosted "Jeopardy!" before being officially replaced by Ken Jennings in December 2023. She is now focusing on expanding her presence on social media and pursuing production projects through her own company, in addition to co-hosting the podcast "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown."